Is there such thing as too much cake on your birthday?

What better way to see out my teens than up in Shetland! I’ve never had to work before on my birthday as I’ve always been lucky that it has been during a holiday or a day off, but it was actually rather enjoyable.

A phone call from mum and dad before work set me up nicely for the day, and the steady stream of birthday messages and posts throughout the morning was really lovely to read in between seeing patients. The past couple of days have been a bit low as the novelty of being up here is wearing off slightly and I’m beginning to wish I could see my friends and family. But all the birthday messages and the comments and messages I’ve received about my trip have really helped a lot when I’ve felt distant from people, so I also just wanted to thank everyone for those too. It really does mean a lot to know people are thinking of me even if I can’t be with them right now.

At lunch time my team took me out to a local café for food. They had a birthday card and cake waiting for me at the table which was just so sweet. After lunch we headed back to the office for tea and cake whilst we sorted paperwork and admin from the morning. I’m really beginning to feel part of the team now which is always helps as a student nurse as it makes you feel like you can add something to the team rather than just being ‘the student’. It makes it far easier to learn things and to be honest when reflecting on your practice with colleagues if they trust you and get on with you and vice versa.

After work I was absolutely knackered as I hadn’t slept very well the night before, so I got home and had a nap before dinner. I woke up to an invitation from one of my friends in my accommodation to watch Love Island with her and some of the other girls later in the evening, which while I’m not a Love Island fan, was lovely to receive, so I got myself up and made some dinner. Before I went up to sit with the girls, I skyped my boyfriend which was one of the highlights of my birthday as I haven’t seen him in ages. Now I know he doesn’t read my blog as he’s told me outright that there’s not much point as I tell him everything anyway, and he’s not wrong, and he’s had to perfect his ‘yes dear’ as I ramble on at him for 40 minutes about how cute the puffins were and what I had for dinner. But I just wanted to take the opportunity to say how much I appreciate him as I wouldn’t be here without him having encouraged me to step out my comfort zone more and to not let my anxieties hold me back. He is a good egg, and I am very much looking forward to our road trip together around Scotland after I finish my placement in Shetland.

So, when Love Island time came around, I headed to the living room upstairs with a cup of tea, and there I had yet more cake waiting for me, as well as a card signed by everyone in the block who I had gone out with on Saturday. While I’m still of the opinion that Love Island is utter twaddle (apologies to the people who I know are very invested in it), it was rather cute and was a good end to a lovely day. 

Cake round 1...